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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1'.

G HUGHES LIFE BOAT DBGK SEAT.

Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

' G HUGHES LIFE BOAT DECK SEAT.

Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

GEORGE HUGHES, 0F LIVERPOOL,

LIFE-BOAT Parnnrr @rrrcn.

COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

D EC K=SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,875, dated September 4:, 1888.

A nnlication filed January 5, 1888. Serial No. 259,875.

To all 1077,0172, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Gnonen HUGHES, a sub ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, in the Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Li fe-Boat Deck-Seats, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain. No. 8,204, dated June 9, 1887,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a life-boat which can be used on ordinary occasions as a declrseat.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a plan of the boat arranged for launching. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the boat when used as a seat. Fig. 5 is a plan of the boat when used as a seat. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same, and Fig. 8 shows details of catch.

In the drawings, A A are water-tight oompartinents at the head and stern. These are preferably made similar in contour.

B B B are other compartments with bulkheads at intervals separating them into several compartments. In the drawings the entire boat is therefore composed of twelve separate compartments. Besides these separate compartments, there are longitudinal bulkheads I), forming two further compartments or rows of compartments alongside the keel or center of the boat. These two compartments are used to carry fresh water, and when this is exhausted they are filled with water-ballast by means of suitable valves or plugs. (Not shown and forming no part of this invention.)

0 O are lockers or chambers for holding the masts, boat-hooks, oars, and rowlocks when the boat is being used as a seat. The doorsD of these lockers are used to sit upon when the boat is used as a seat proper; but when actually used as a boat they stand out horizontally and thwarts E are fixed to them, being swung into position in the manner set forth in Fig. 1, where the thwart E is being swung into place. The thwart E is still in the position in which it was in when the boat was a seat, and the remaining thwarts are in their right position. The screws fastening the thwarts to the lockerdoors when in the position for a seat are used (No model.) Patented in England Juno 0, 1887, No.8,l04.

to fasten the ends of the other thwarts when they are placed in position for rowing.

F F are battens, which form the inside lining of the boat, and also the laths to the back of the seat, and G are arms in the case of the seat, between two or three passengers, and in the case of the boat they form supports for the seats D. The two portions of the boat are hinged together with strong hinges H. These hinges extend almost from end to end of the boat. In order to keep the boat water-tight between the two halves,a broad band of indiarubber, l, is placed on one half, and the corre sponding metallic band with a salient rib, J, is placed on the other half of the boat. When the two halves are held together to form a boat, the salient rib J is compressed into the india-rubber or other soft yielding matter I, and this holds the boat water-tight.

K K are mast-sockets, which are preferably placed at each end of the boat, so that either can be used to hold a mast.

L is the tiller, and M the rudder. These, when not required, are slipped in the lockers, and in order to get the rudder into the locker it is formed in two parts, at m, hinged together, and these two parts. when in position for a rudder, are held in place by strong catches N. Only one of these is shown in the drawings; but there may be as many as are required, and these are so fixed as not to be able to be unfastencd by the waves. 0 is a catch, (better shown in Fig. 8,) which fits into a hasp or rack, P, on the other half of the boat, and when not in this racl; is prevented from falling too far back by the stop p, whereby it stands in such position that the moment the two halves of the boat come together the catch at once falls into the rack. IVhen the two boat-halves are brought quickly together, the shock will generally cause the catch 0 to fall and catch in the rack P, holding it tight.

Q is a hinged screw, and R a pair of abutments on the other half of the boat. The hinged screw is thrown down between this pair of abutments and the nut g is then tightened against the abutinents until the two halves are brought together, pressing the ridge J tightly into the band of indiarubber I.

S S are the rowlock-holes. The rowloclrs are placed in the lockers when not in use.

T is a bar or rail placed over the junction of the two halves of the boat, and over the hinge when used as a seat. This board is held down by means of the right and left hand screw-fastening U and mousingVto the deck, so as to hold the seat on its chocks W, the right and left hand fastening U being attached to the bar T by means of the eyelets t, interlocking in the eyelet of the upper screw. These chocks W have two longitudinal grooves, X, into which the rails Y on the boat fit. These rails have handholes 3 all along, so as to act as life-lines, so that any person swimming in the water can at once grasp this rail and be drawn up by the people in the boat.

Z Z are eyes to which the guy-r0pes hold ing the mast in position are attached.

2 represents eyes upon which the rudder is hung in the usual manner.

The usual self-emptying life-boat valves can also be attached to this life-boat. It has not been thought worth while, however, to show them in the drawings, as they form no part of this invention.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a boat formed in two halves hinged together, the combination of the locker doors D, the arms or supports G, and the thwarts E, attached to said door, whereby thwartseats for a boat can be at once improvised, while on the other hand they are not in the way when the structure is used as a deck-sent.

2. The combination of the locker-doors D, forming side seats, the thwarts E, and the means for pivoting the thwarts to the doors, consisting of screws, bolts, pins,or pegs, whereby when not in use said thwarts can lie flat against the doors and not be in the way, and yet can be at once brought out and fitted in place, substantially as described.

3. In a life-boat, a series of lockers below the gunwale, into which the oars, masts, rowlocks, and the like are put when not in use, and having doors with hinges at bottom, and which fall down into supports and serve as side seats when used as a boat, as well as seatbottoms when the lockers are closed and the whole is used as a deck-seat, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the combined boat and seat, of the cover T, holding and tightening mechanism t U V, the rails Y, and the chocks W, provided with grooves X, into gvhich the rails fit, as and for the purposes set orth.

5. In a boat formed in two halves hinged together, the combination of the catch 0, pivoted to one section of the boat, and rack P, secured to the other section, whereby the sections are secured when brought together as a boat, as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a boat formed in two halves hinged together, the combination of the catching de vice O P at one end of the boat, whereby the two halves are caught and held on coming together, and a screw-tightening device, R Q q, at each end, whereby the two halves of the boat are secured. and held together, substantially as set forth.

7. In a boat formed in two halves, the tightening-up device at each end, consisting of the hinged screw Q, hinged to one side of the boat, the abutment R on the other half, and the nut q, for tightening up and securing the halve together, for the purpose described.

8. In a boat formed in two halves, the combination of the elastic joint, consisting of the ridge Jand packing I, and tightening devices consisting of a screw-bolt, Q, the abutments R, and the nut q, situated at each end of the boat for the purpose of making and maintaining a close joint between the halves, substan tially as described.

9. In a hinged double deck-seat capable of being formed into a boat, the combination of the life-rail Y with the boat-chocks N, having grooves X, into which the rails fit, whereby when the boat is used as a seat it is prevented from slipping apart, and the same chocks can be used for boat or seat.

10. In seats required to be joined together to form a boat, the series of arms G, formed rib shape on the interior sides of the boat, in combination with the door D, hinged to the side of the boat, said hinged door D forming the seat, and the ribs G forming the arms of a deck-seat when the boat is used as such, and the ribs G forming supports for the hinged doors D when they are used as supports for the thwarts E, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of three subscribing witnesses,

GEORGE HUGHES.

Witnesses:

WM. P. THOMPSON, ROBERT R. GRAY, H. P. SHOOLERIDGE. 

